Striking Photos of Hong Kong by Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze

French photographer Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze has been based in Hong Kong for the past 8 years, documenting the territory’s most interesting aspects through various photographic series. Featured here are two of his most recent ones.

Hong Kong Land & Sea:

“At my arrival in Hong Kong I was firstly impressed by its incredible urban development in terms of verticality and compactness. However, I discovered soon after that the city’s density was juxtaposed next to sheer wilderness with large lands of preserved nature all through the territory. I started to develop the habit of exploring this side as well in order to take some breath of fresh air out of the city and the sceneries I have seen never failed to impress me by their beauty and diversity.

This series of photographs is a tribute to Hong Kong’s natural beauty and a way to show people that are not conscious of it that the urban areas here are just one side of the coin of Hong Kong’s staggering uniqueness.”

The Blue Moment:

“Each day at the very last moment of dusk, the sky takes on a deep blue tinge which is then reflected onto everything that is below. During this very brief moment that only lasts a minute or two a blue veil envelops Hong Kong and releases a mystical atmosphere.

Photography is a way to cast fleeting moments in still images. Moments don’t last; places and people disappear in time. One particular day I was shooting the city at sunset, bright light washed out most of the colors, you could feel the heat through the images. I decided to stay a little longer to watch the sun going down and the city lighting up. I witnessed how just for few minutes the city was enveloped in a deep blue haze. The blueness projected itself ferociously onto the buildings that looked colorless just a little while before. I was deeply impressed. The only way to eternalize this ephemeral moment was with my camera.”